No deal for Najib; Harapan’s institutional reform; no rush to make Anwar PM

KINI ROUNDUP | Here are the key headlines you may have missed yesterday, in brief.

No deal for Najib

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government has no intention of cutting a deal with his predecessor Najib Abdul Razak, who is accused of graft in relation to the 1MDB matter.

The Swiss Office of the Attorney-General has renewed its request to coordinate investigations into 1MDB following the installation of a new government in Malaysia.

1MDB chairperson Irwan Serigar Abdullah – who has been suspended from his duties as treasurer-general – was slapped with a travel ban, together with former inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar and attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali.

The California Central District Court is likely to grant the US Department of Justice protective custody of the superyacht Equanimity, according to a Bloomberg report.

Auditor-General Madinah Mohamad announced the declassification of the 1MDB audit report.

Harapan’s institutional reform

The Council of Eminent Persons announced the formation of a Committee on Institutional Reforms, in line with Harapan's manifesto to strengthen institutions for check and balance.

Council member Zeti Akhtar Aziz, the former Bank Negara governor, said the abolishment of the GST may take longer than the promised 100 days, but a clear plan would be available by then.

The police force saw a reshuffle among senior officials, including the transfers of aides-de-camp of the former prime minister and former deputy prime minister.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said he regretted not telling Najib the truth about discontent among the grassroots before the party and its coalition were trounced in GE14.

Khairy also said Umno has to “consider all options” to remain electable, including opening the party to other races.

No rush to make Anwar PM

Daim Zainuddin, a member of the Council of Eminent Persons, said it would be foolish to rush PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's installation as the eighth prime minister.

This was echoed by deputy prime minister-designate Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who said that the new government should prioritise reforms instead.

The Aviation Commission (Mavcom) denied forcing AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes to cancel the additional 120 flights the airlines provided to enable Malaysians to travel home to vote in last week's election.